On Sunday at Valencia, rumours began circula🎃ting that Johann Zarco might become a factory🍎 KTM MotoGP rider in 2019.

Zarco🅰 has enjoyed a stellar rookie season in the premier-class, with three podiums, two pole positions and sixth (as the top satellite rider) in the world championship for Monster Yamaha Tech 3.

Such perf💖ormances mean the Frenchman would be in contention for a factory Yamaha seat in 2019, should Valentino Rossi retire or Maverick Vinales part company w♊ith the official team.

But perhaps Zarco would not be prepared to wait and see if a factory spacꦓe develops, instead taking his future into his own haᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnds by agreeing to join KTM?

The KTM race team would only call the rumours 'interesting', but Red Bull-backed has today published quotes from CEO Stefan Pierer, who names Zarco 🍌as the 'the only MotoGP rider I'm seriously consi🃏dering for 2019':

"When I look a𓂃t the championship table, there's no-one I can think of except Zarco, to be honest.

"He won the Moto2 World Championship f𓆉or two years with Aki Ajo and won the Red Bull Rookies Cup ⛦on a KTM. He knows KTM.

"If you ask me, I would saꦦy: 'This is the only MotoGP rider that I'm seriously🌳 considering for 2019'."

Of the team's current l෴ine-up, Pierer made no mention of Bradley Smith but 'intends' to keep Pol Espargaro for 2019, when KTM should💮 also run a satellite team.

Marc VDS is named as one of the possible candidates and could be used to give KTM's Mo🥂to2 stars Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder a MotoGP debut.

"We now have such a s♌uccessful Moto2 team with Oliveira and Binder. These two riders are capable of MotoGP for 2019.

"In the long run, Brad Binder ♉will also become a top MotoGP rider. He is a god on the brakes.

"If you win the Moto2 world championship for KTM in 2018,🐲 then you're in MotoGP for 2019. But that can also be with the satellite team."

However Pierer ruled out a bid for Honda's reigning 💯four-time Mo🅷toGP champion Marc Marquez.

"I'm quite honest: Márquez is such an ꦡunique talent, in a league of his own. If he wins, it is Márquez. If he loses, my motorcycle is to blame. Moreover, such a signing would be counterproductive to our jun♌ior program, which we have built so carefully."